In a stunning display of power and precision, Jelena Ostapenko clinched the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title in Stuttgart, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6–4, 6–1 in the final. This victory marks Ostapenko’s ninth WTA singles title and her first on clay since her 2017 French Open triumph.
A dominant performance
Ostapenko’s aggressive baseline play overwhelmed Sabalenka from the outset. She won 64.5% of her second-serve return points and broke Sabalenka’s serve six times, including all four service games in the second set . Sabalenka struggled to find her rhythm, winning only 44.6% of her total service points.
“I just tried to stay aggressive and play my game,” Ostapenko said after the match, highlighting her commitment to her attacking style.
Historic run
En route to the title, Ostapenko defeated both world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals and world No. 1 Sabalenka in the final, becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2012 to beat the top two ranked players in the same clay tournament. Her victory over Swiatek improved her head-to-head record against the Pole to 6–0.
Looking ahead
With this triumph, Ostapenko climbs six spots in the WTA rankings to world No. 18 . She now turns her focus to the upcoming clay-court tournaments in Madrid and Rome, aiming to carry this momentum into the French Open.
Sabalenka, despite the loss, took the defeat in stride, joking about missing out on the tournament’s prize car for the fourth consecutive year: “Maybe I should just buy the car myself”.
Ostapenko’s resurgence on clay positions her as a formidable contender for the remainder of the season, reminding the tennis world of the talent that led her to Grand Slam glory in 2017.